1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vehicles for handicapped persons and more particularly to a self-propelled vehicle that a person in a wheelchair can enter and operate.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A number of vehicles have been developed to assist handicapped persons in traveling from place to place. However, known vehicles have certain disadvantages. For example, vans have been equipped with automatic loading means for lifting a person in a wheelchair into the van but the person must then work himself into the driver's seat. The cost of a van with the additional mechanisms required so that it can be operated by a handicapped person makes the cost prohibitive to many people, particularly those with limited income. An ideal vehicle would be one in which the person confined to a wheelchair could enter in the wheelchair without assistance and could operate the controls of the vehicle from the wheelchair.
Forester in U.S. Pat. No. 3,921,740 has proposed a vehicle having a sloping rear ramp which the wheelchair occupant can use to enter the vehicle. The ramp is closed by a lever arrangement and serves to prevent the wheelchair from rolling out. The Forester vehicle is open and not suitable for inclement weather operation. Further, guiding the wheelchair onto the narrow ramp represents some danger to a handicapped person having limited control of his wheelchair. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,912,032, Benz, et al teach a motorized front wheel of the bicycle type having a yoke which can be attached to the arms of a wheelchair to power the combination. However, in this arrangement the wheelchair wheels are in contact with the ground. Although this unit may be economical, it is not satisfactory for street use since bumps, potholes, and the like would be disastrous to the wheelchair wheels with great risk of accident. Furthermore, the wheelchair tires are generally constructed for indoor use and would quickly wear out if exposed to a roadway. Mitchell, et al in U.S. Pat. No. 4,221,276 disclose a motorcycle sidecar which may be coupled to a motorcycle which permits a person to enter the sidecar in a wheelchair and to control the motorcycle from the sidecar. The device is open to the elements. The available power from a motorcycle could represent a danger to a handicapped person. A number of wheelchair and tractor combinations have been proposed as exemplied by U.S. Pat. No. 2,710,659 to Moederle, U.S. Pat. No. 2,468,801 to Beall, and U.S. Pat. No. 2,931,449 to King. Although useful for some persons, these special purpose vehicles do not accept a driver seated in a conventional wheelchair.
Therefore, there is a need for a low cost powered vehicle which will have a limited speed for safety and which will accept a standard wheelchair. The vehicle should be enclosed to protect the occupant in case of rain or other unfavorable weather conditions. The wheelchair occupant should be able to enter the vehicle in the wheelchair with complete safety and then be able to operate all controls from the wheelchair.